1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally concerns devices for the storage of firearms, and more specifically relates to a rack apparatus designed to be mounted to a wall or similar object to securely retain and prevent unauthorized removal of one or more firearms secured in the apparatus.
The present invention particularly concerns gun racks that are any of (i) economical of construction, (ii) strong and secure in the protection of firearms, (iii) easily and readily access, (iv) artistic and aesthetic to display held guns, (iv) variably configured upon installation to hold varying numbers of firearms of various sizes, and (v) versatile to hold both long guns and handguns at the same time.
2. Background of the Invention
It is desirable for both individuals and organizations to maintain and store firearms under some form of locking device in order to provide security against unauthorized use or theft of the firearms. It is particularly desirable that firearms stored in the home should not be accessible to an intruder lest they be turned against the homeowner. Wheresoever firearms are stored, the storage device should present maximum feasible resistance to theft of the firearms.
Firearm racks and cabinets are generally locking, but are typically made of wood and offer but little security against access to the stored weapons by brute force. Many gun racks or cabinets are but loosely attached to a wall or similar object, making that the entire rack or cabinet may be taken for later removal of the contained firearms.
Many various forms of firearm racks, cabinets and security methods appear within the prior art. Much of this art is concerned with a semi-secure display of the firearms rather than the typically greater security that is realized by storage of the firearms out of sight in vault-like containers. Generally, the prior art uses racks to store firearms for two reasons: the first being to protect the firearm by providing a relatively soft containment housing, and the second being for aesthetic values because, generally, the firearms are on display.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,752,046 to Levy for a VERTICAL TYPE GUN RACK shows a gun rack using wood as its structural element. Levy teaches the display of the gun mounted in his apparatus and discloses a locking circular bar that passes across the stock of each gun in order to restrain the guns within the rack from unauthorized use. The rack is partitioned into sections with each section holding an individual gun. The locking circular bar is controlled by a sliding drawer under the gun rack such that, when the drawer is closed and locked, the bar is latched in place. Close examination of the disclosure reveals that the locking mechanism requires that each gun stock have substantially the same dimensions, otherwise, it could be possible to remove a gun with the locking bar in place. For example, if a gun owner had a gun with a large stock and one with a small stock, the size of Levy's apparatus would be set by the gun with the large stock and the gun with the small stock could be slipped out of the locked rack. It would be possible to let the gun, with the small stock, set the size of the gun and physically enlarge one section to accept the gun with the larger stock; however, this would require substantial re-working of the grill rack.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,958,422 to Caloiero et al. discloses a VERTICAL GUN RACK that also uses wood as its structural element. Caloiero, et al. use a locking bar which passes across the stock of each gun to restrain, from unauthorized use, the guns within the rack. Unlike Levy, Caloiero does not use sections with the gun rack, but uses slots in the base of the rack to accept the gun stock and openings in the top of the rack to accept the gun barrel. Caloiero requires that all contained guns have approximately the same dimensions near that point at which the locking bar passes in front of the guns; otherwise, it would be possible to slip a smaller gun up and past the locking bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,107 to Jaeger discloses a MACHINE GUN RACK that is most likely fashioned from metal although the structure could be made from wood. The machine gun rack is partitioned into sections with each section designed to hold a similar machine gun; thus, the disclosure teaches a device for use with similar sized guns. Jaeger uses two locking bars, one across the top of the gun and one which runs through each trigger guard on each contained gun. The lower bar, running through each trigger guard, limits this gun rack to only contain guns specifically suited to fit the rack; otherwise, a non-standard gun would interfere with the locking mechanism or not be properly secured from unauthorized use. There is no doubt that this apparatus provides excellent protection for the contained firearms, but the cost of such a device would be beyond the means of the ordinary gun owner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,315 to Young discloses a SECURITY RACK FOR WEAPONS that is fashioned from metal and designed to secure variable length weapons. The apparatus resolves a number of problems found in the art, but is a complex device. The gun is held in place within the gun rack by an adjustable butt housing and the gun is secured by a tongue which closes across an upper slotted gun restraint thus providing a locking restraint. Because the device is complex, the cost will be high and will again be beyond the means of the ordinary gun owner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,042 to Fair discloses a GUN LOCKING DEVICE fashioned from a combination of materials that is also designed to secure variable length guns. The apparatus, like that of Young, resolves a number of prior art deficiencies, but, also like Young, is somewhat complex. The restrained gun fits in a butt slot within the rack and has an upper slidable section that moves downward to grip the end of the protruding barrel. The slidable section can be locked in place by a sliding lever which is, in turn, locked in place by a padlock.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,385 to Clouser discloses LOCKING GUN RACKS, fashioned mainly of wood, which are seemingly inexpensive while providing reasonable security for the firearms contained. The wooden racks are designed to be bolted against a wall so that the complete rack cannot readily be moved. The same retaining bolts also constrain a chain that is designed to be passed through the trigger guard on each gun within the rack. The chain is then padlocked in place. The Clouser device is inexpensive, but being made of wood, can readily be forced open. The wall attachment bolts can be reached by the potential thief by simply using a saw to cut through or around a wooden plug which protects, or hides, the bolt head. All that is required to remove a gun (or all guns) is to remove one or the other attachment bolt which then releases the security chain. The padlock or chain can readily be cut by bolt cutters.
There is yet another problem with many prior art gun racks other than the defeat of their security function, per see. Law enforcement officials recount firearm robbery attempts where, long guns being securely retained at their trigger guards, the long guns have simply be levered against this restraint, seriously damaging the guns while often, depending upon the strength of the securement mechanism, failing to even dislodge them. The gun owner is thus faced with the spectacle of his or her valuable firearms not just robbed--where presumably someone, somewhere, would get some use from them--but wantonly destroyed. It is therefore desirable that a firearm security system should not only keep the firearms from being stolen, but should also prevent them from being destroyed by being worked against the system restraints by callous and ignorant thieves and vandals.
Finally, many owners of long guns, both rifles and shot guns, store their guns in soft carrying cases. These cases afford a certain degree of protection for the contained gun in that the case will keep dust, grit, moisture and the like away from the gun. Very often the gun owner will have some guns in soft cases and other guns without cases that need to be secured. This means that a variable sized firearm (with or without soft case) needs to be stored in a gun rack. The prior art cannot readily meet this requirement.
Thus, there exists a need for a simple, inexpensive and readily adjustable gun rack device that can securely rack guns of varying sizes with or without soft cases: a device that will severely curtail both the theft and/or the wanton destruction of racked guns, but that can easily be opened or locked; a device that can store both long rifles and handguns interchangeably; a device that places the secured firearms on display in an effective and aesthetic manner; and a device that operates safely and securely and without damage to all manner of the firearms that it serves to secure.